Stitch-along with Sew Happy Me

OK, so I'm a stitchery virgin no longer.  Not that I really know what I'm doing, and the stitching leaves a little bit to be desired (I won't blow the picture up any larger - it's one of those smaller, further away, eyes slightly squinted, the better sort of things) - but I can see what the attraction is, and now that we've installed better task lighting in our lounge, I can actually see at night to do things like this.  Maybe not hooked yet, but I'll continue with the stitch along patterns hmmm each week (or so) - reminder to self that I am already a week behind... but that's the great thing about doing things online, no mean teacher growling that you haven't completed your homework!

The instructions make a square sort of hanging bunting... there is probably a proper word for it, but it seems to be escaping me at the moment (OK, OK - I read the instructions... big words at the top say it is a BANNER).  I postponed the starting of the project because, well, I didn't really want to make a bunting thing banner.. and it sort of distracted the important bit, actually starting.  After mulling it over for a week or so, in my head I could see the stitching completed on a solid grey/stone that I have also used for the words on my Baby Billboard quilt, with a teal thread, and using some of the Figgy Pudding fat quarters that have been sitting in my drawer since that last Regional Day (thank you The country yard)... which was probably quite some time ago, and a pile of charm squares that were on special almost as long ago (courtesy of The Powerquilter).  The problem being that when I put them together in real life (as opposed to being in my head) - the colours didn't quite mesh together as well as I had expected.  Another reason for postponement.  Well, I just decided to go ahead with it in the end.  It is really only the cream background designs that don't "go" with the grey, I think it looks OK with most of the other ones... decision made... and I've done Santa in a dark khaki sort of colour, which I thought helped to blend it back to the Figgy Pudding fabrics.

The instructions for the bunting complete the stitching through the top layer and a layer of batting.  As I want to add quilted blocks, I didn't want to do that... and after discussing it with my Friday group, the consensus was that either I try using a hoop, or use some sort of stabiliser.  If anybody has any thoughts about this... I'd really like some expert input.  The hoop seems to be working well enough at this stage.  Now I'm not going to take a photo of the back - let's just say I'm sure my technique will improve over time and that the back will probably reflect this - fingers crossed - and is there a trick to getting french knots the same size??  Santa looks a bit squinty.